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If you cannot find a suitable appointment time online, please phone the clinic on (03) 9875 1123, as some appointment times and types can only be booked over the phone.
Appointments
New and current patients of practitioners consulting from Blackburn Clinic can book an appointment online to see a doctor using the links at the top of this page. If the appointment type required is not listed, you cannot find a suitable time, or you prefer to speak to the friendly reception team please call (03) 9875 1123.
Your GP may charge a fee if you miss your appointment, and do not cancel with at least one hour’s notice.
On weekdays and evenings, consultation is by appointment. The GPs are committed to continuity of care and our therefore encourage you to see the same doctor. Reception staff will make every effort to achieve this for you. If it is not possible, the receptionist can assist you with alternative bookings. Urgent consultations can usually be accommodated because of the flexible appointment system.
On weekends and public holidays patients are seen in order of arrival and no appointment is necessary.
Longer Appointments
Some consultations – for example insurance medicals, pre-employment medicals, female health checks (including Cervical Screening), complete health checks, surgical procedures, and travel health – require a longer consultation. Please inform the receptionist when you are making an appointment for these so enough time can be allowed.
A variety of appointment types can be made online, including Long Consults.
Asthma
Your GP can assist with asthma diagnosis, management and education.
Complete Health Checks
A preventative philosophy that aims to identify risks and put strategies in place to prevent ill health.
Health Checks are an inclusive in-depth check suitable for all patients aged 35-65 years. This gender inclusive whole body checkup comprises a heart risk evaluation and ECG, respiratory assessment, diabetes check, lung function test, skin cancer check, eye check, hearing screening test, risk evaluation and gender specific checks (breast, cervical screening, prostate) as appropriate.
Click here for the Complete Health Check INFORMATION SHEET.
If you already have an appointment for a Complete Health Check, you will be sent a link to the Complete Health Check QUESTIONNAIRE prior to your appointment, or you can download the QUESTIONNAIRE here.
This needs to be returned to the clinic (or submitted online) at least four days prior to your appointment.
COVID Vaccinations
To provide you with optimum protection, the most current COVID-19 vaccines are available at Blackburn Clinic (subject to stock availability). A booster provides protection against serious illness from COVID-19.
Eligibility for First 2023 Booster dose
18 years & older: Eligible
5-17 years: At Risk – Eligible
Particularly recommended for ages 65 and over, plus ages 18 and over with Risk Factors, and people who are pregnant.
Eligibility for Additional 2023 Booster dose
75 years & older: Eligible & Recommended
65 to 74 years: Eligible
18 to 64 years with severe immunocompromise: Eligible
Please note: Boosters should be taken 6 months following the previous dose or 6 months after your last COVID infection.
The date you had your last COVID-19 vaccine is on your COVID-19 digital certificate, available through your myGov account or the Express Plus Medicare App.
Flu Vaccinations
FLU CLINICS HAVE ENDED FOR 2023 but vaccines are still available. Phone the clinic to book for a flu vaccination.
Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for all people aged 6 months and over, but only the categories below are eligible for free influenza vaccines under the National Immunisation Program (NIP):
- ages 6 months to less than 5 years
- ages 65 years and above
- pregnant women (during any stage of pregnancy)
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
- people who have certain medical conditions which increase the risk of influenza disease complications (cardiac disease, chronic respiratory conditions, chronic neurological conditions, immunocompromising conditions, diabetes and other metabolic disorders, renal disease, haematological disorders, and children aged 6 months to 10 years taking long-term aspirin therapy).
Please phone to book a Flu vaccination.
Flu Clinic consultations (which do not address anything other than the flu vaccine) will be billed to Medicare. If you have your flu vaccine as part of a normal consultation with your regular doctor, normal consultation fees will apply.
If you are eligible for a Free Government flu vaccine, and attend a Flu Clinic*, there is no cost to you.
Iron Infusions
Iron deficiency anaemia can be treated on-site, where medically appropriate, at considerable savings compared to the traditional day-surgery model. Please see your doctor for advice.
Free 45-49 Year Old Health Check
The Australian Department of Health recommends that this health assessment “is for a patient who, in the clinical judgement of the medical practitioner and based on the identification of a specific risk factor, is at risk of developing a chronic disease. A health assessment at this stage of life can assist patients to make the necessary lifestyle changes to prevent or delay the onset of chronic disease.”
Risk Factors for chronic disease include:
- High cholesterol
- Alcohol or drug misuse
- Excess weight
- Physical inactivity
- Smoking
- Poor nutrition
- High blood pressure
- Impaired glucose metabolism
- A family history of a chronic disease (asthma, cardiovascular disease, mental health condition, arthritis, cancer, diabetes mellitus etc.)
If you are aged 45-49 and have one or more of the above risk factors, you are eligible for this once-off free assessment. This comprehensive checkup is designed to detect and prevent chronic disease, and enable early intervention strategies to be implemented.
What to expect in your 45-49 Year Old Health Check – you will spend about 10 minutes with the practice nurse, followed by 20-30 minutes with your doctor. The health check includes assessment of physical and mental health in order to identify risks and signs of early onset of chronic disease, undertaking interventions and referrals where clinically appropriate, education, advice and health strategies, and a written record of the assessment.
Please print out the 45-49 Year Old Health Check questionnaire (click here) and bring the completed questionnaire to your appointment, in order to ensure the doctor has all the necessary information.
Please phone 9875 1123 to book a 45-49 Year Old Health Check (these cannot be booked online).
Travel Medicine
Blackburn Clinic is a Licensed Travel Vaccination Centre, enabling GPs to provide a range of travel resources, advice and vaccines including Yellow Fever, Hepatitis A and B, Typhoid, Meningococcal, Polio and Tetanus, and travel vaccination certificates (Yellow Books). Please see the LINKS page for further information about travel medicine.
If you have booked a Travel Medicine consultation, please print out the Travel Health Questionnaire (click here) (form may be filled out online on compatible devices before printing) and bring the completed questionnaire to your appointment. Details about your intended travel (including countries, length of stay, types of planned activities), as well as your vaccination history, will enable your doctor to provide the best possible advice.
Childhood Immunisations
Visits solely for scheduled childhood immunisations will be bulk-billed (Mon – Fri, during 8am – 6pm).
Assessments for Over 75s
This is a comprehensive annual health review for patients aged over 75 years (or 55 years for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients). The Health Assessment is an opportunity to explore areas of health that may not be covered during routine medical care. Specifically the assessment looks at:
• Physical ability (how well you manage daily tasks)
• Social Support (what friends, relatives and other supports you have)
• Psychological wellbeing (how you are coping)
Health Assessments focus on preventative care – solving problems before they happen, and can identify things that could be done to help the patient live independently in their own home for as long as possible.
Health Assessments are done in two parts:
1. Firstly a practice nurse will perform a comprehensive interview, either at the surgery or in your home, which takes about one hour;
2. Subsequently you attend your normal doctor for a medical checkup and completion of the assessment.
GPs are happy to bulk-bill the Over 75 Health Assessment so there is no cost to you. Speak to your doctor or one of the nurses if you would like a Health Assessment.
Skin Cancer Checks
Most patients should have their skin checked by their GP yearly. All doctors are very experienced at assessing skin spots, and have access to the equipment needed. By booking a Skin Check Appointment, you will ensure that the doctor has time set aside specifically for this. If your doctor recommends further investigation, there are Theatre facilities on-site suitable for biopsies and excisions.
Click here for the Skin Cancer Check INFORMATION SHEET
Click here to view the UV levels in Melbourne today using the SunSmart widget provided by the Cancer Council Victoria.
UV radiation cannot be seen or felt. It is not like the sun’s light which we see, or the sun’s warmth (infrared radiation) which we feel. This means it can be damaging to our skin without us knowing.
The free SunSmart widget takes away the guesswork when it comes to knowing UV levels. It uses forecast information from the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) and live UV data from the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) to provide sun protection times for more than 600 locations across Australia.